MILF deploys young fighters in North Cotabato

PIKIT, North Cotabato – After a military operation sent the rebels fleeing, young inexperienced guerrillas have replaced them to fight thousands of battle-tested military and police troops deployed here.

The young fighters sent by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) were as young as 14 to 17 years old, the military said.

This was one of many concerns aired by ground commanders when Philippine National Police (PNP) deputy chief for administration Deputy Director General Jesus Verzosa visited Army and police positions between Pikit and Aleosan towns Friday evening.

“The problem is most of the guerrillas who took position are minors,” Col. Alejandro Estomo, commander of the Army’s 602nd Infantry Brigade, said in Filipino.

Estomo briefed Verzosa on the sudden re-occupation of Barangay Baliki in nearby Aleosan by about 300 MILF fighters Friday afternoon.

He said these young fighters are part of the so-called “expeditionary force” of the MILF.

Army troops and elements of PNP’s Special Action Force (SAF) deployed in the so-called “Hill 147” overlooking Baliki were already manning battle positions when Verzosa, accompanied by Task Force Palma overall commander Chief Superintendent Felizardo Serapio, arrived at about 7:30 p.m.

Considered as a highly critical area, Hill 147 was the scene of heavy fighting when the MILF zeroed in on their major advance in a bid to isolate Catabato City and several northern municipalities in Davao, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani provinces.

The MILF deployment of its young fighters was seen as an indication that the secessionist movement has suffered heavy casualties in the first two days of fighting that commenced last Aug. 10, said Estomo.

“Napakarami ang namatay sa kanila (So many of them were killed). They died by the hundreds, including the unnamed son of MILF’s 105th base command head Umbra Kato, as a result of our aerial bombardment and ground counter-offensive last Sunday and Monday,” Estomo told Verzosa, who aside from making rounds on forward Army and SAF troops in Aleosan, also visited government forces securing M’lang and Midsayap.

Earlier, Serapio said they were still verifying reports that Kato’s son was among the MILF rebels killed in an encounter with the Army’s Scout Rangers last Monday.

Estomo cited reports from his intelligence network in Liguasan Marsh that the remains of Kato’s son were immediately transported back to Maguindanao.

“Our intelligence reports claimed that Kato’s son was immediately buried in Barangay Tumagingting in Datu Piang,” Estomo said.

Verzosa reminded the troops to only fight the enemies and not ordinary Muslims or Christians, most of them still in evacuation centers for fear of getting caught in the crossfire.

Too scared to return home

Many villagers who fled their homes due to Muslim rebel attacks said yesterday they were still too scared to return.

Their fears persisted even as military and local officials tried to persuade them that it was safe to go back to their homes in the towns of Aleosan, Pikit and Midsayap in North Cotabato following a military operation that drove away the MILF – but only temporarily, with the arrival of young fighters.

“Fear still hounds them,” said Manuel Rabara, mayor of nearby Midsayap where many villagers remain in evacuation centers.

“When people are displaced due to armed conflict, they feel they are still not safe in their homes so, as expected, they would rather stay in evacuation sites,” Rabara said.

The National Disaster Coordinating Center (NDCC) said there are still 164,973 people displaced by the fighting that broke out earlier this month after MILF guerrillas occupied several villages in North Cotabato.

These displaced villagers are still staying in the 65 evacuation centers or with relatives despite assurances that it is safe to go home.

North Cotabato Gov. Jesus Sacdalan said there has been no fighting in the past few days even as he led civic groups in distributing aid to the displaced villagers.

“Our assistance is not enough and we are aware of that,” Sacdalan said. “Aside from food and medical assistance, these people obviously need psychological intervention.”

Tapudok district in Pikit town, scene of the fiercest fighting, still resembled a ghost town, with empty houses pockmarked with bullet holes and only soldiers present, patrolling the area.

Nestor Mallorca, chairman of Baliki district, the first village occupied by the MILF fighters, said while his area had been cleared, many residents refused to return home.

Baliki farmer Anacleto Vasquez, 39, said he would rather stay in a crowded evacuation center than risk bringing his family home.

“At night we can still hear gunshots, an indication the rebels are still there, not far from Baliki,” he said.

Military spokesman Lt. Col. Julieto Ando said that even if the rebels had fled, the soldiers would not abandon the residents.

“We assure our people that the military will stay as long as the threats from Moro rebels remain,” said Ando.

More than 200 houses were burned and numerous farm animals and equipment stolen when the MILF occupied the area, leaving unexploded bombs behind as they fled, the Office of Civil Defense said.

More aid

The World Food Program (WFP) and UN Children’s Fund (Unicef) as well as the international and Philippine offices of the Red Cross have helped the government by distributing food, water and other relief supplies to the evacuees.

Yesterday, the WFP said they would provide an initial 400 metric tons of rice worth $308,000 that would help sustain food support for some 96,000 displaced villagers in North Cotabato for at least a month.

“WFP’s initial emergency food response is well underway and will be sustained to ensure life-saving food support is given to the displaced families, many of whom are elderly, women and children,” said Stephen Anderson, WFP’s new country director and representative.

WFP, he added, has so far dispatched 266 tons of rice for 4,210 families in Pikit, 4,046 families in Tulunan and 432 families in Libungan.

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Philippine Marine Corps have partnered to ensure faster delivery of basic social services to war-torn areas in Mindanao.

Social Welfare and Development Secretary Esperanza Cabral yesterday said that aside from the delivery of emergency relief assistance to families affected by the armed conflict, the DSWD and the PMC would also work together in implementing rehabilitation and developmental projects particularly in the provinces of Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan, and Palawan.

Marine Commandant Maj. Gen. Ben Dolorfino said they would provide the DSWD with logistic support and security to ensure that relief assistance is always appropriate and adequate.

“Once we have recognized the very urgent problems of the people we will bring that to the attention of the DSWD and they will provide the necessary assistance to address these in the communities,” Dolorfino said during the signing of the memorandum of agreement at the DSWD central office in Quezon City yesterday.

“With this agreement we can now start development efforts in the areas affected not only by the armed conflict but by many socio-economic problems as well without worrying about the safety of our social workers,” Cabral said.

Cabral said both agencies would provide their own resources in the implementation of the joint project.

Fighting broke out last week soon after the Supreme Court suspended a draft agreement for the establishment of an extended Muslim homeland in the southern Philippines. The agreement was key to peace negotiations between the government and the MILF.

Despite the fighting, the government said it was still pursuing peace efforts with the 12,000-strong MILF, which has been fighting for an Islamic state since 1977. – With Pia Lee-Brago and Helen Flores